Smoking worsens the severity and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), further compounding the suffering of people living with the disease. 

In an article published by Everyday Health, Christie Bartels, MD, MS, assistant professor, Rheumatology, gave her thoughts about the importance of quitting smoking for people living with rheumatoid arthritis. 

“Patients who continue to smoke have more damage over time and are more likely to have treatment failures. Also, rheumatoid arthritis is a cardiovascular disease risk factor, and adding smoking to that creates a compounded risk,” said Dr. Bartels. 

She recently published a study showing that rheumatologists are less likely to counsel patients about quitting smoking if their rheumatoid arthritis symptoms were under control. 

“Many of the rheumatologists were not aware that a third of smokers are ready to try to quit or cut back if asked. We need more training for rheumatologists. We also need to train the nurses and medical assistants to help patients and teams know the quit resources,” she said.

Resources:

• "How to Quit Smoking When You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis," Everyday Health, September 13, 2017